LaCimbali Junior DT1Conclusion

Who would have thought it? Our group taste comparison between the
Cimbali Junior and La Marzocco Linea confirms something I’ve
suspected for a long time: Top-end commercial machines have different
capacities, demand different techniques, but in the hands of a skilled
barista, demonstrably are capable of producing nearly indistinguishable
results as judged by the average and not-so-average espresso drinker.
Some professionals may question these test results, but we went to great
lengths to make it a fair evaluation. Truthfully the test favored the
Linea in some ways and I considered the possibility the scores would
lean strongly in its favor. It didn’t turn out that way. Part of
the overall favorable results for both machines, I believe, demonstrate
that this class of equipment is at its best when run flat-out.

Enough about the group taste test, what’s the bottom line? Is
Junior the end-all, be-all choice for the home barista willing to part
with three grand? Let’s see the numbers...

This guide retains the same informal scores of the previous reviews,
starting with the exceptional espresso score™. This is a
rating of the espresso quality a barista with moderate experience should
expect on a daily basis. In one respect, Junior is a dream heat
exchanger: Nothing short of a dual boiler could claim a simpler routine
of temperature management, which lies in sharp contrast to prosumer heat
exchanger machines that require conspicuous attention to the timing and
amount of the cooling flush before each shot.

On the other hand, producing an exceptional extraction with Junior
proved more challenging; flaws in my technique were revealed with
painful clarity. I dedicated several weeks to improving my barista
skills in order to reliably pull shots on par with my own machine. This
required effort was partially an indictment of my accumulation of bad
habits that went unpunished using the more forgiving E61 group, and
partially a recognition that the Cimbali Junior’s lack of
pre-infusion and rapid brew water pressurization demand closer adherence
to proper technique. Is this a noteworthy consideration among
professional baristas? No, probably not, but I feel the home barista
should be aware that producing exceptional espresso with Junior
may require more personal effort. Consequently it’s fair to dock
Junior a half point, leading to a score of 8.0 for the barista having
moderate skills. If you’re willing to invest additional time and
effort improving your skills, expect regular shots worthy of a solid 8.5
and not infrequent 9.0’s.

Before moving to the next score, let’s consider one tradeoff
that my previous evaluations didn’t weigh: How well does a
particular espresso machine handle a crowd? If I were to add a “crowd
pleaser” score to this evaluation, Junior would reign supreme
over all the prosumer models I’ve used to-date. According to the
manufacturer, Junior is rated in excess of 80 cups per hour. While we
never reached that pace during our group test, there were bursts of
espresso production that came close. The espresso quality never wavered,
and in fact I believe they improved as the pace quickened. If you
regularly invite over six or more people for an espresso jam, or you
have aspirations of catering small weddings for your family and close
friends, the Cimbali Junior will not let you down.

The “morning after” score is where Junior takes it
lightly on the chin. Those who are learning should expect a respectable
7.0, owing to the requisite level of barista skills I mentioned earlier.
Keep in perspective that such a score is still better than the majority
of cafés in the U.S, plus the hints and tips in Perfecting the Naked Extraction
will move you along the learning curve quickly. As a consolation to
Cimbali Junior fans, the good news is that if this score only considered
the ease of managing brew temperature— generally a weakness of
heat exchanger machines —Junior would earn a firm 9.0 while other
prosumer machines would struggle to merit a 7.0.

The majority of Americans are cappuccino and latte drinkers, so the cappuccino
lover’s score weighs the speed and ease of frothing. Junior
has lots of capacity—some home baristas may consider it too fast!
Producing good microfoam was easy, but excellent microfoam was elusive
using the stock tip. Exchanging the S1 steam arm and tip for
Junior’s stock equivalent helped and I liked the added mobility,
and yet Junior lagged well behind the steaming capabilities of another
popular commercial machine of home kitchen proportions, namely the La Spaziale
S1. The S1 has the advantage of a dedicated steam boiler that
runs at a higher pressure of 1.25 bar compared to Junior’s typical
0.9 bar. Raising Junior’s boiler pressure to increase steam
production also increases brew water temperature; few would set its
boiler pressure higher than 1.1 bar, except for rapid-fire continuous
use or brewing lighter high-temperature tolerant espresso blends.
Subsequently Junior places below the S1 by a non-negligible margin with
a score of 8.5.

The last two scores are where Junior gets to crow, beginning with the
convenience and features score. My own machine doesn’t have
volumeteric dosing and I found myself wishing it did after a month or
two with Junior. Add to that the enormous cup shelf (twenty-four Illy
cups, egad!), quiet rotary pump and convenient direct plumbing, no need
to empty the driptray, beefy polished portafilters, good ergonomics like
the tactile feel of the steam and water tap, and well-conceived
maintenance features such as the water level adjustment with a twist,
easy panel removal, and no-hassle boiler drain. The list of smart
features goes on, many of which you’ll only appreciate through
years of ownership, leading Junior to the top of the charts and
establishing it as Home-Barista.com’s standard by which all others
are compared, a near perfect 9.75.

There’s no chance of surprising you with my assessment of the
Cimbali Junior’s materials and workmanship score. I
searched long and hard to find points to criticize and finally concluded
that any negative comment would be quibbling. If you appreciate
attention to detail and are willing to pay a handsome premium for an
espresso machine that you can include in your family wills for
generations, you’ve found the answer. The Cimbali Junior earns an
unqualified 10.0 in this category and is once again
Home-Barista.com’s standard bearer.

Exceptional
Espresso

Morning
After

Cappuccino
Lover’s

Convenience / Features

Materials / Workmanship

Cimbali Junior

*8.0

7.0

8.5

9.75

10.0

La Spaziale S1

8.0

9.0

9.5

9.5

8.5

Andreja Premium

8.5

7.5

9.0

9.0

8.5

Rancilio Silvia

7.0

3.0

6.0

5.0

8.0

Steam-type (no pump)

2.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

Typical café

4.0

n/a

4.5

n/a

n/a

Note: Home baristas with
better than “moderate” skills can expect a regular Exceptional
Shot score of 8.5 and not infrequent 9.0’s, especially if
serving large groups.

As always, I don’t offer an overall score because it depends
too much on the relative weight you place on each of the other scores.
Lastly, to help you better appreciate the relative scale of these
scores, I offer the same off-the-cuff evaluations for an advanced
entry-level espresso machine, the infamous Rancilio Silvia, as shown in
the table above. The table also includes the ubiquitous steam-type
espresso machine and what one could expect from most cafés in my area,
if only to put things in proper perspective.